Beside him, a towering figure wielding a massive blade slowly materialized.
Two small antlers were perched atop the familiar triangular helmet.
"Even though I've seen it once before, this look... is still a bit hard to get used to."
Sephirot looked at the antlers on Pyramid Head's helmet, feeling utterly helpless and at a loss for words.
His body blurred, vanishing from the spot.
Boom!
Almost at that exact instant, a mini-missile slammed into the ground where he had just been standing, blowing the road surface to pieces.
"End this quickly."
Sephirot's cold voice rang out from above the Propeller Head monster.
Demonic energy surged through his body as he gripped Alastor with both hands, hacking downward.
The blade sliced straight through the monster's outer shell, and electric currents surged through its circuits, frying several neural hubs.
Pyramid Head joined the fray with stiff, heavy strides, his giant blade swinging in a violent arc to cleave another modified monster, which had been attempting a sneak attack, cleanly in half.
The battle was over.
Sephirot walked over to one of the monster's corpses and pried apart the shredded armor.
"Modified living humans, with various mechanical creations forcibly implanted..."
But what he couldn't understand was why these monsters, cobbled together with technology, bore the scent of demons.
"Hmm?"
Sephirot commanded the nearby Pyramid Head to step forward and further dismember the corpse.
He discovered a pattern etched into a scrap of flesh inside.
Unable to find any relevant information in his memory, Sephirot could only preserve it for now, planning to have Constantine take a look later.
To ensure nothing was missed, he simply bundled up all the remains and threw them into Silent Hill.
Only after cleaning the scene did he release Patty from the Otherworld.
The moment Patty appeared and saw the carnage around her, along with the totaled car, she jumped in fright.
"Sephirot! Are you okay? What were those monsters just now?"
She nervously checked Sephirot's body over and over, only sighing in relief after confirming he wasn't injured.
"I'm fine."
Sephirot pointed at the wrecked car. "However, you'll have to find a way to call for another ride."
—--
Deep in the mountains underground, in the surveillance room of the containment center.
Sitterson and several researchers stared grimly at the main screen, which now showed disconnected surveillance feeds.
"Boss, all signals have been lost. The experimental subjects are confirmed dead," a researcher reported in a low voice.
Sitterson clenched his fists.
These were monsters he had painstakingly modified, experimental subjects created at the cost of massive funding and special materials, yet they hadn't even lasted a few minutes.
A trace of bewilderment flashed in his eyes as he asked, "Was the combat data from just now recorded in full?" The researcher nodded.
"Good."
Sitterson forced himself to calm down. "Go analyze this combat data immediately. Extract every bit of his fighting habits and the parameters of that greatsword."
"Use that data to train the new generation of experimental subjects."
—--
In the middle of nowhere, unable to hail a taxi, the two of them instead caught a ride with a private car heading toward the orphanage.
Country music played inside the vehicle. The owners were a middle-aged couple who seemed quite kind.
John and Kate.
During their conversation, the two learned that the couple had just suffered a tragic blow.
They had lost their third child in the womb.
To heal their internal trauma, the couple planned to visit the orphanage in the outskirts to adopt a healthy child and fill the void in their family.
Upon arriving at the orphanage, they were greeted by a slightly plump Black nun named Abigail.
Sister Abigail warmly expressed her gratitude to Sephirot and Patty, thanking them for their long-term material donations and volunteer work.
"I want to go to the backyard to see the children first."
Patty distributed the gifts she had brought to several caregivers and spoke with eager anticipation.
"Of course, they've been talking about you non-stop."
Sister Abigail smiled and led the way.
As they reached the sun-drenched lawn of the backyard, Patty was immediately surrounded by a crowd of cheering children, filled with constant laughter.
Sephirot, who visited less frequently and possessed an aura that naturally kept strangers at bay, found his surroundings much quieter.
Only a few brave boys hovered around him, curiously asking all sorts of questions.
Sephirot answered them simply, his eyes instinctively scanning the entire grounds.
The orphanage's backyard retained the architectural style of a last-century Abbey. While a large group of children gathered around Patty and a smaller group played on the slides, one child stood out.
In a corner of the yard, a young girl wearing a long lace dress sat alone on a swing. She was quietly drawing, appearing utterly out of place compared to the noisy children around her.
Ribbons were tied around the girl's neck and wrists. This eerie style of dress raised his suspicions.
Sephirot had accompanied Patty here several times before and had an impression of most of the children.
He was certain he had never seen this girl who was so focused on her drawing.
"Sister, is that little girl new?"
Sephirot pointed to the figure sitting alone in the corner and asked.
Sister Abigail looked over, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes as she replied, "She was just transferred from Russia a while ago. Her name is Esther."
"The poor child has had a hard life."
The nun sighed. "She was once adopted by a very nice couple. Later, that family suffered a terrible fire. The whole family perished in the flames, and she only survived because she happened to be out playing at the time."
Hearing this tragic backstory, Sephirot sneered inwardly.
*So it really was Orphan?*
If he remembered correctly, this little girl named Esther appeared to be a well-behaved, sweet child on the surface, but in reality, she was an adult woman with primordial dwarfism, violent tendencies, and mental illness.
As if sensing the gaze of Sephirot and the nun, Esther stopped her drawing in the corner.
She looked up, a sweet and innocent smile spreading across her doll-like face.
Watching that smile, Sephirot asked, "Have you confirmed the details of this girl's background with official agencies?"
Sister Abigail blinked, shaking her head with a hint of hesitation. "Because it was a cross-border transfer, we've only verified some basic files and documents so far."
"The paperwork... indeed has some gaps."
"Then go clear it up."
Sephirot's tone was flat, yet held a hint of undeniable authority.
"There is a very rare condition in medicine."
"The patient's body remains permanently in a childhood stage, but their mind grows just like a normal person's."
"When I was handling cases as a private detective, I saw an adult woman like that. She disguised herself as a child to be adopted, and then brutally murdered her defenseless adoptive parents."
The nun's body shuddered at the description.
She knew Sephirot's profession was that of a private detective; he wouldn't fabricate a story to terrify her for no reason. Thinking back on Esther's behavior, the girl did indeed possess a maturity of thought that didn't match her age.
"My God... I understand. I'll contact the police and the Russian agencies to verify everything immediately."
Her expression grave, the nun hurried away.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES — CROSSOVER GUIDE
Some references in this chapter come from source universes that may be unfamiliar to some readers. The notes below provide the context needed to understand them without leaving the page.
SOURCE UNIVERSES
Orphan — A psychological horror film. A grieving couple, John and Kate Coleman, adopt a nine-year-old girl named Esther from a Russian orphanage after losing a child. Esther initially seems sweet and gifted, but her behavior grows increasingly disturbing. The film's central twist reveals that Esther is not a child at all, but a 33-year-old woman suffering from a hormonal disorder that stunted her physical growth, leaving her permanently trapped in a child's body. She has a history of manipulating and murdering adoptive families. Her habit of wearing ribbons around her neck and wrists conceals scars from a prior victim. The couple John and Kate appearing in this chapter, along with the girl named Esther transferred from Russia, are direct references to this film.
CHARACTERS
Esther — The antagonist of Orphan. Behind her porcelain doll appearance and charming manners lies a calculating, violent adult who has fooled multiple families. The ribbons around her neck and wrists, her Russian origin, and the fire that killed her previous adoptive family are all details drawn directly from the film.